Turkey's presidency confirms its ally FSA loots Syrian town of Afrin

As the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) begins to loot the Syria town of Afrin following the withdrawal of Kurdish militias, Turkish authorities confirm that this war crime is being committed by its ally

Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorists were caught looting Syria’s town of Afrin after the withdrawal of the Kurdish militant People's Protection Units (YPG) on Sunday.

According to reports, the FSA started looting across the Syrian town of Afrin, plundering residences belonging to those who fled from the violence in the region.

Regarding reports about the FSA’s looting of Afrin, the Turkish President’s Spokesman İbrahim Kalın said, "We are investigating these allegations. It seems that these incidents have occurred in Afrin. Some groups within the FSA probably disobeyed orders from their commanders."

The international news agency AFP and the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on March 18 that Turkish-backed forces entering the city centre of Afrin looted civilian residences and shops.

FSA terrorist in Afrin with looted goat.

AFP correspondents working in the region also reported that some of the militants affiliated to the Turkish-backed forces loaded blankets, packages full of food, goats and even motorcycles on their trucks before leaving Afrin.

According to correspondents, FSA militants; alongside plundering shops, restaurants and civilian residences, also seized cars in the city centre with tractors.

FSA terrorists looting shops in Afrin

After recent reports regarding FSA militants’ looting of Afrin, a senior field ‘commander’ from the FSA stated that ‘‘These kinds of incidents are seen periods of chaos. There may be some ‘bad apples’ within the FSA, but the looting is not widespread.’’

The Turkish Armed Forces and its allies entered the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin on Sunday, declaring full control of the town after an eight-week campaign to drive out Kurdish YPG forces.

A terrorist driving a tow truck loaded with looted vehicles

As Turkish Armed Forces seized the city center of Afrin with its ally the FSA on March 18, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the operation will not be limited to Afrin and that the Turkish Army and Turkish-backed jihadists will continue their operations in the Kurdish YPG-controlled Syrian territories of Manbij, Til Abyad, Rasulayn and Qamishli.